(July 6 photo No. 87) Taipei July 7 (CNA) Singtex Industrial Co., a leading Taiwanese producer of functional fabrics, has developed a new eco-friendly product using fibers from waste coffee grounds that dries quickly, controls odors, and offers UV protection.

"One medium cup of coffee can make two T-shirts, " said Singtex general manager Chen Kuo-chin, who proudly noted that waste coffee grounds will no longer have to end up in landfills.

It took the company three years to develop the patented process to transform waste coffee grounds into the new trademarked fabric, called "S.Cafe." Chen explained that the company turns the coffee grounds into yarn, which is then used to produce many styles of knitted and woven fabrics, as well as soft shell fabrics.

The S.Cafe fabric is touted as having offering fast drying properties, odor control, and ultraviolet-protection, but the company touted its eco-friendly characteristics.

The fabric does not use any chemicals and is free of any harmful materials commonly found in other yarns generated during production or transportation process, the company said. Also, because the process does not require high temperature carbonization, it is energy efficient. Unlike most fabrics, the eco-friendly fabric can be washed by using clean water without the help of a detergent.

"Loving the earth must be more than a slogan to be effective. It has to be put into practice," Chen said.